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Apparel Design and Merchandising
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shivanigakhar@gmail.com |
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Now And Then (Collection for Allen Solly Womens Wear Aw 9/10)
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Guide Somesh Singh |
Sponsonr Madura Garments, Bangalore
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I completed my a project at Allen Solly at a time when the brand was going through an ‘image makeover’. Allen Solly Women’s Wear was shifting from a complete formal wear brand to a more trendy, fashionable and more casual range of merchandize. The timing was perfect as it would be an ideal opportunity for experimental work. Also, it provided an exciting opportunity to study the fundamentals of brand building. The brand designing tag lines were “something for everyone” or “something for every occasion.”.
I worked on designing a collection keeping in mind the “City” look of Allen Solly collections for the Autumn Winter 2009-10. This would have slightly more stylized garments than “classic” and “casual” collections. I eventually designed two final collections based on the 1960’s (Minimalism) and the 1970’s (Revival).
Initially, I was part of the design team, assisting the designers with various tasks like garment specifications, print designs and catalogue shoots. Next, I began to design my own collection. I incorporated inspiration, market research, research focused on international trends. I then generated themes and explored final designs, into a very structured, very well defined approach that aligned with the brand identity. The key challenge was to design keeping in mind production and manufacturing constraints.
Working in a corporate environment provided me the opportunity to work with many different people from different disciplines. I also learnt to be an independent decision maker and taking responsibility for split-second decisions. At the end of my project, I came out with a sense of empowerment. |
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